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It's name crush Monday, everybody! Today's name crush is a biblical name I'm really loving these days!

Zephaniah

Hebrew

"Treasured by the Lord"

Not ranked in the top 1000

Zephaniah is a really cool name that is tragically underused, in my opinion, especially given the popularity of other Z names like Zecheriah. The meaning "treasured by the Lord" is absolutely amazing! I used to think Zephaniah lacked usable nicknames but Zeph is actually really cute. Zephyr is another name on its own but it could also work as a nickname for Zephaniah. Another reason why I love the name Zephaniah is because my favorite verse in the Bible is Zephaniah 3:17. I love how much this verse shows that God loves his people.

Hello everyone! Happy National Dog Day! I wanted to talk to you about my dogs names and the reasons behind them to today in honor of national dog day!

My 9 year old husky/shepherd mix is named "Dallas Dakota", which when made into a name sentence means "gentle friend" or "gentle ally". Dallas was the name that the animal shelter gave him before I adopted him when he was 8 weeks old but I had already decided to name him Dakota. I chose Dakota because in baby name books, the name meaning is always listed as "friend", and that's what I wanted in a dog. I've since read that it means more along the lines of "ally", but he's been that to me too. I kept Dallas ("gentle") as his first name because it flowed better but he's always been called Kota. The gentleness took time but he's always been an amazing friend.

Pax is my 7.5 month old husky/lab mix. I chose Pax because it's the Latin word for peace and it was my sincere hope that Pax would offer me some peace and comfort when Kota passes on (but hopefully not for several years). I also wanted to have part of his name mean "gift of God" and I decided on Donatello, because other names that mean that (Nathanael, Theodore, Jonathan) are ones I'd possibly consider for a human child. Read "A Puppy and a Prayer" to find out how Pax became a part of our pack. Midnight is a name that Michael suggested because of his jet-black fur. I really like what Midnight adds to the name sentence. "Peace at night is a gift from God" is a profound spiritual truth---and also the meaning of my dog's name!

It's Monday and that means it's time for name crushes! I normally try to alternate boys and girls names, but I'm going break that pattern this week because I'm totally crushing on the name Maven!

Maven

Hebrew

"One who understands"

I fell in love with the name Maeve watching Criminal Minds a few seasons ago but I really don't care for the meaning. Then a few weeks ago, I came across the name Maven and I really love the sound. After looking up the meaning, I'm officially swooning! Maven comes from Hebrew, meaning "one who understands" and has become an English term meaning "expert". I'm not sure Maven really goes with my overall style, but I might consider it as a middle name.

What do you think of Maven? What names are you crushing on lately? Let me know in the comments!

Hello everybody! I've been doing a series on nicknames recently and so far I've covered ways to get to Ellie, Theo, and Liv. Today I'm covering another pretty popular nickname for boys: Ben. Ben names have been popular for so long that it's bound to be a family name for a lot of people. One good way to honor a Ben in your life is to use another Ben name. For instance, Reuben or Bennett could be used to honor an Uncle Benjamin, even if none of them have ever gone by Ben. Though Ben as a nickname does have kind of a sweet simplicity and I can certainly see its appeal. Let's talk about all the names that you can get the nickname Ben from!

Ben

Hebrew

"son of"

Ranked #723 in 2014

I was surprised to find that Ben is in the top 1000 on its own but appearently it's been used on its own for generations and was even in the top 100 in the earlier part of last century. Nicknames like Theo and Cole work well on their own, but in my opinion, Ben works best as nickname for a longer name. However, other people obviously feel differently.

Benjamin

Hebrew

"son of my right hand"

Ranked #12 in 2014

Benjamin is definitely the most common way to get to Ben and has been a perennial favorite in the United States. Right now, Benjamin has risen to #12 (the most popular its ever been) and it's poised to join the ranks of the top 10 very soon. Benjamin's appeal is evident, though: biblical, classic, great meaning, familiar nickname. Benjamin has everything going for it!

Bennett

English

"blessed"

Ranked #166 in 2014

Bennett is a delightful Ben name with a great meaning with a lot of potential! Bennett also fits into the trend of names with the t ending that includes Elliot and Everett. If you're looking for a Ben name that's still really familiar but not quite as popular as Benjamin, Bennett would be a great choice. Plus, blessed is a fantastic meaning.

Benaiah

Hebrew

"son of the Lord"

Not ranked in the top 1000 in 2014

Benaiah is a really awesome, underused biblical name. Not only is it a cool name with a familiar nickname, Benaiah has a fantastic namesake. The Benaiah in the Bible is an amazing guy! Go check out his story! Benaiah is a great way to use a name that's off the beaten path and still have a nickname that's short and easy to understand.

Reuben

Hebrew

"behold, a son"

Ranked #848 in 2014

Reuben is another great biblical name that you could get the nickname Ben from. Reuben is the spelling found in the Bible but the Ruben is much more popular (#357). Reuben is a great biblical name that in my opinion is definitely being under used right now (and I would recommend the biblical spelling).

Those are some of my favorite Ben options but there are some more good ones out there! Check out the "long list" and maybe you'll discover one you hadn't thought of!

Benjamin

Bennett

Benaiah

Eben

Benson

Bentley

Ebenezer

Benedict

Benno

Reuben

Benito

Corbin

Remember, if you like a name, put a pin on it! Thanks so much for reading and may God bless you!

Hey everyone! It's Monday so it's time for name crushes! I have another rare but usable one for you today and I hope you love it too!

Kerenza

Cornish

"love"

Not ranked in the top 1000 in 2014

Kerenza has an elegant yet spunky sound. It's frilly like Isabella and Olivia but the zippy 'z' adds a little spice. Considering the popularity of frilly princessy names, I'm surprised that Kerenza hasn't caught on even a little bit. Kerenza also has a fantastic meaning. It's hard to get better than love! I really like the nickname possibilities of Ren and Renzi. Kerenza was my top name a few months ago but I moved it down a few places to place more emphasis on family names. The combo I like for Kerenza is Kerenza Abigail (my father's joy is love).

What to you think of Kerenza? What names are you crushing on right now? Let me know in the comments!

Hello everyone! I can't even tell you how excited I am for my very first Q&A here on Beloved Baby Names! The opportunity to discuss names with fellow name lovers and to help real people name actual human beings just blows my mind! Seriously, you guys are making my dreams come true! I'm very honored that people have asked me questions on here and through instagram and I'm going to try and answer some today!

jeweltrixx8Pronunciation & middle name suggestions that are biblical name that flows perfectly with Zipporah.
Thanks for commenting! Zipporah is usually pronounced zip-OR-ah. Zipporah is a name that is always on and off of my all-time favorites list and I like the combination Zipporah Hope. As for a biblical name that flows well with Zipporah, I'd suggest:

Out of these, I like Zipporah Shiloh the best. The trick with pairing a name with Zipporah is for me, I don't often like two names that end in 'ah' together, which really limits biblical choices. I also don't like names that end in the "ah" sound paired with a name that begins with an r or the "eh" sound, further limiting choices (Ruth, Elizabeth). My preferences on how names flow might not match your so please go check out some more of my articles on biblical girls names and make sure there aren't any good ones that I missed!GillianHello! This is a lovely blog! I was wondering if you could think of some darling "L" names ... we have six girls, all Ls ... and a seventh baby on the way(gender unknown).... we have a boy name but no girl names....

Here are our girls thus far:

Lacey EllaRose Dale

Lyla Precious Joyce

Lucia Marie Clair

Lovelyn Angelica Joy

Leia Hyacinth Anne

Lavender Kate Delight

and I need another L name, in case we have another delightful girl... :) Hi Gillian! Thanks for your question! What a blessing to have seven children! I love the names of your six girls! You have a very distinctive style that I really like! Some great L names I'd suggest for you are:

Liora

Hebrew

"I have light"

Loxley
English
"woodland clearing"Leighton
English
"town by the meadow"Lumina
Latin
"brilliant light"Larissa
Greek
"citadel"Liesel
German from Hebrew Elizabeth
"God is my oath"
Livia
Latin
"blue"Laurel
English
"laurel"Lark
English
"lark"Linnea
English from Swedish
"twin flower"Lotus
English
"lotus flower"Liberty
English
"liberty"LaRose
French surname
"a place where wild roses grow"

Lydia
Greek
"from the almond tree"

Luna
Spanish
Moon

Liv
Norse
"life"

Laken
English
"lake"Lillian
English
"lily"Lottie Frenchshort form of Charlotte "free man"

You have so many lovely names with a variety of sounds so I felt like there were lots of different directions you could take that would still go well with the names you already have. I'm anxious to know what you ultimately decide and what spectacular middle names you add to your L name! Please write back and let me know!breerichard123U should do a uncommon biblical baby name series!!!!! There r so many good ones!Hi, breerichard123! I agree! Uncommon biblical names are some of my favorites! I've written quite a few articles here on Beloved Baby Names that you might want to check out: Awesome But Underused Biblical Girls Names, Awesome But Underused Boys Names From the Old Testament, Awesome But Underused Boys Names from the New Testament, Biblical Place Names, My Favorite Biblical Girls Names and My Favorite Biblical Boys Names. Since you made this request on instagram, though, I assume you'd like me to include more uncommon biblical names on my instagram and I can totally do that! Thanks so much for the suggestion!
Thank you a million times to those who have asked me questions! I love discussing names with you and helping you find names to fall in love with! Thank you so much for reading and God bless you!

Do you have a name question for me or a type of name you'd like me to discuss here on Beloved Baby Names? Leave it in the comments and I will try to include it in a future post!

Hello everybody! It's Monday again and that means it's time for another name crush! Today's name is a wonderful spunky choice that would be perfect for a parent looking for something off the beaten path--- but not too far off. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Calix

Greek

"handsome"

Calix falls into two of my favorite categories of names: Greek and not in the top 1000. It has an appealing meaning as well. What parent doesn't think that their baby boy is the handsomest guy in the world? Calix has a really fun sound, kind of like Alex with an edge. If you like the nickname Cal, this is a great way to get to it. The 'x' factor in Calix also bumps up its appeal. (Can I go ahead and place my vote on Calix for the name of another Jolie-Pitt son?)

While I find Calix captivating, it is not on my personal list of possibilities. I don't like the way it flows with our last name and sister names Calla and Callisto go back and forth on my favorites list for girls. However, Calix is totally usable (and not just by celebs with an x theme) and I'd love to see someone use it!

What names are you crushing on lately? What do you think of Calix? Do you know anyone named Calix? Let me know in the comments!

Hello everyone! You know what day it is! It's Monday and that means name crushes! Today my name crush is the gorgeous, flowing Seraphina!

Seraphina

Hebrew

"ardent" or "fiery"

Not ranked in the top 1000 in 2014

Seraphina is an exquisite princessy name that packs a punch with its meaning. The name Seraphina is derived from the word "seraph". Seraphs are angelic beings mentioned in the Bible. One of the places they're mentioned is Isaiah 6, which is one of my husband's favorite passages. What I call "princessy" sounding names are very popular these days, i.e. Isabella, Sophia, Victoria, Gabriella. I'm not super enthusiastic about these more common choices but I think Seraphina would make a lovely alternative along the same lines, but not ranked in the top 1000.

You might recognize Seraphina as a star-baby name. Seraphina Rose Elizabeth Affleck is the younger daughter of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, sister of Violet and Samuel. This is one of my favorite celebrity sibsets but it does seem that Seraphina is he odd one out as far as style. The story behind the name is cute: throughout the pregnancy big sister Violet called the baby bump "Sarah". The couple waited a week to name their new daughter, and after coming up with nothing, they just gave Violet what she wanted, just adding a little extra flair.

Like Evander that I shared with you last week, Seraphina seems to be a name that is well liked in naming community and even in literary circles in Seraphina's case, but they are not at all well used in real life. If you are looking for a unique, gorgeous name Seraphina is an amazing choice!

If you know a Seraphina in real life, please leave me a comment! God bless you and thanks for reading!

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